A Desperate Hour
by Greenshells
Summary: With the family away hunting, and Charlie fishing, Bella and Carlisle look forward to a weekend of quality time at the Cullen house. All will not stay well however. Rated M as a precaution for violence.
1. Chapter 1

_All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer._

 _A Desperate Hour_

Edward and his family had gone hunting for the long weekend, and with Charlie away fishing until Monday, Bella was staying at the Cullen house. Carlisle had remained behind due to his schedule with the hospital and to be there for Bella. He always preferred to pick up weekend shifts so the other doctors would be able to spend time with their families. Though things had finally settled in the time since Victoria's demise, and the wolves were around should Bella have need, the Cullen's did not like leaving Bella without at least one member of their indestructible family nearby. One never knew when the Volturi might choose to check in on the vampire-to-be.

It was Saturday night and Bella expected Carlisle to arrive within the hour. He had said he would be home in time to thrill her with his promise of culinary delights. Bella had spent the day finishing her science project and was now relaxing on the bed in Edward's room with a civil war book borrowed from Jasper. Bella was lost deep into a chapter on the Battle of Galveston Harbor, when a noise from the kitchen disturbed her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Dude, I'm telling you, tonight is perfect!" "Yeah, and you know this how?" Rolph sneered at his buddy as he took a swig of whiskey from his flask. "I was sweet talking that new gal that works the reception desk over at the hospital. I overheard that goodie two-shoe's doctor say his family had all gone to visit relatives or some shit up north for the weekend. With the doc working tonight and the heavy rain keeping everyone in, tonight's the perfect time to hit that house" Donnie explained as he steered his beaten pickup down the dark road that lead to the house deep in the woods. The same house that had been the talk of the town after the graduation party that had been thrown by the rich doc's daughter. What was her name again? A something…April, that must be it. Not that he really cared what her name was, no he was picturing something a little more tangible. Like the jewels that surely sat in all the women's dressers, or the expensive looking watches the boys were known to wear. Hell, Donnie would swear that was a real Rolex on the doc's wrist tonight.

Donnie pulled the truck to a quiet stop in the drive. Truly he figured he and Rolph would chicken out when they actually got here. They had never taken their petty thievery this far before. But the beer they had drunk at the house, and the whiskey they swigged in the truck gave them both liquid courage. Without making a real decision, they both pushed open the truck doors and stepped towards the darkened house.

* * *

Bella, of course assuming Carlisle was home, placed a scrap of paper in the book to mark her page and made her way out of Edward's room. She was dressed comfortably in a pair of leggings and a long, loose fitting sweater. Her feet, covered in the bright red sock-slippers Esme had gifted her on Valentine's Day, padded silently across the wood floor. Still, she knew Carlisle's enhanced senses would have no problems hearing her.

She took her time walking down the stairs, even with the treaded soles of her slippers she knew better than to press her luck with her balance, or lack thereof. So when Bella turned the corner from the hallway into the kitchen, she was not the only one to gasp in surprise.


	3. Chapter 3

Rolph heard a gasp and turned towards the noise to find a young woman staring at him in shock. He immediately pulled his gun from where he had tucked it in the back of his pants and pointed it at her. "Shit Donnie, you promised the place would be empty!" Rolph yelled in anger. Bella instantly froze where she stood and immediately decided to tell Alice about this the moment she saw her again, praying it would trigger her best friend's particular talent.

"It should be, I don't know who the bitch is, she sure ain't one of the doc's kids!" Donnie shouted back. "No shit man, she's the chief's kid" and that was all the warning Rolph gave before he pulled the trigger.

Bella had barely registered the explosive sound of the bullet leaving the weapon when she felt as though a sledge hammer struck her in her side. Pain bloomed instantly as she was spun around by the force of the blow. She felt her forehead strike the corner of the kitchen entrance and then darkness took over.

* * *

"What the fuck man?! We could've just knocked her ass out or something!" Donnie stared in shock at the young woman who was as pale as death and now laid still in a puddle of her own blood.

"Told ya, she's the chief's kid. No matter what she would've talked. The bitch has seen our faces. Plus, she's bound to have seen me at the diner – her old man eats there alot. Quit your whining and finish bagging all that silver" with that, Rolph walked past the girl he had just callously shot and headed up stairs to see what jewels or cash he could score.

Donnie figured at this point there was nothing else to do but what Rolph had ordered. He scoped the rest of the silver wear into his knapsack and followed him upstairs to the bedrooms. He couldn't believe the haul of jewelry, cash and designer handbags they found in each room. Even the library seemed a treasure trove of relics. The two attempted to finish ransacking the house quickly, but the house was so large it was a good half hour before they finished making multiple trips to their car with all the gaming consuls and laptops and tv sets they found.

* * *

Bella awoke to a blinding pain in her side. She didn't know why, but some instinct kept her from crying out in pain. She took a deep breath and attempted to think past it. Slowly, she began to recognize that she lay on the Cullen's kitchen floor. She remembered thinking Carlisle was home and instead finding two human men digging through Esme's kitchen drawers, seeing a gun and feeling a hammer blow to her side. The one with the gun must have shot her. That explained the why her shirt felt wet - she was bleeding. Bella could hear objects being slammed into the floors upstairs. Obviously the intruders were still here and searching the house for whatever they thought they could sell. She took stock of her body. She lay on her side with her legs twisted around each other. Her wounded side faced up, with her arm laying down her side. Her head was pounding – she figured must have hit it on the door jamb as she fell. Looking down at the pool of blood she lay in, she could tell she was bleeding badly. She pressed her arm down against the wound as tightly as she could without shifting her position. She had recognized the one who shot her as the bus boy who worked at the diner she and Charlie frequented. She knew he intended to kill her with that shot and playing dead was her best chance to survive long enough for help to reach her.

She slowly slipped the hand she lay on into her front pocket. She breathed a quiet prayer of thanks – her cell phone was still where she had stashed it when she headed down stairs. As carefully as possible, Bella pulled the phone out of her pocket, ensured it was set to silent and rested it under her where she could type but if the men walked by her they would fail to see it. Pulling up the texting screen, she typed Carlisle's name in.

* * *

Carlisle Cullen was looking forward to the end of his shift. Just two more hours to go and he would be home with Bella. Although she had readily forgiven his family for abandoning her, Carlisle still felt he owed it to Bella to ensure she knew she was just as much his child as Edward was. He couldn't help but feel that he had chosen one child over the other when he allowed Bella to be left behind, even if he had believed it was for her own good. Carlisle knew better than anyone that the path to Hell was paved with good intentions.

Looking forward to spending the rest of the weekend rebuilding his relationship with Bella, Carlisle had just finished his patient rounds when his phone indicated he had a text message. Retrieving it from his lab coat pocket, Carlisle froze in horror at what he read:

 _DO NOT CALL. 2 men in house. Shot. Bleeding badly. Bella_

Already rushing for his car he sent a reply: _I'm coming for you sweetheart. Can you get out? Where is the wound?_

It seemed to take forever to receive Bella's reply, but in reality Carlisle was only halfway across the lot to his car when his phone dinged: _Shot in left side. they think Im dead – can't move or will kill me. Scared – too much blood…weak._ Quickly Carlisle considered calling Charlie and an ambulance. But if Bella's wound was a bad as she indicated then she wouldn't survive a standoff between her attackers and the police. If he only called for an ambulance and took care of the bastard's himself she might not make it through surgery. No, there was only one option he could accept. Take care of those who dared to harm his daughter himself and treat her at the house. If her injuries were mortal, then he would change her. As he thought this through, he already had his Mercedes speeding through the downpour. _Almost there honey. Keep pressure on the wound._ Carlisle could have sworn he felt his stone heart tearing into pieces when more than five minutes had passed without a reply from Bella. _Sweetie are you there?_ Pushing the Mercedes to its considerable limits, he was turning onto the road that would lead him to his driveway when he finally heard her response. _sry. men cam dwn - hurts tird. Lv u all._ It was reading Bella's profession of love that scared him the most. Obviously she was weakening far too quickly. He finally stopped the sedan in front of his home and was speeding inside in the same moment.


	4. Chapter 4

As she lay on the kitchen floor, praying Carlisle reached her before she bled out, Bella was fairly certain she had never been more afraid for her life. Even when she was certain James would kill her. At least then she had been thinking only of saving her mother, and then begging Edward not to seek revenge. Here, she had nothing to distract her from the pain radiating through her side and forehead. She was focused on lying as still as she could, keeping her breathing as quiet as possible. She was terrified the men would realize she wasn't dead and finish the job. She had just sent her last message to Carlisle; it was definitely getting harder for her to focus on the phone's screen. Bella figured that was the blood loss catching up to her. Already the men were making their way back in the house after dragging the living room tv out to their vehicle. Fighting off the blackness that threatened her vision, she listened carefully for any sign that Carlisle had arrived.

Rolph and Donnie walked back in the house not worrying over the noise they made. After all, there was no one but the dead girl to hear. "That's the last of the electronics man, I think the only room we haven't cleaned out is the doc's office. Bet he's got a bunch of drugs up there we can get some good cash for." "Good, lets grab whatever he has up there and get the heck outta here. I'm starting to get creeped out every time I step over that girl you killed." Rolph scoffed as the two headed up the stairs, "Don't be such a baby Donnie. With this haul we won't have to worry about working for several years and won't anyone know it was us who shot her". The men reached the level the doc's office was on and had just started down the hall when Donnie could have sworn he heard the screech of car breaks over the downpour. He began to turn around and check it out when a white blur streaked past him and he heard a loud thud as something hit the floor. Turning back, he had barely comprehended that Rolph was on the floor with his neck skewed, when he felt cold hands grasp his head, heard a horrifying crack as his own neck was snapped and his world faded to black. He was dead before his body ever hit the wooden floorboards.

After ending the threats to his daughter, Carlisle couldn't spare the time to quell the rage that had entered him at the sight of Bella lying on the kitchen floor. Instead he forced it to the back of his mind and focused on saving her life. Already, her heart was working far harder than was prudent. He had raced straight past her, needing to prevent the men from hurting Bella further. Finding them outside his office, he knew his next priority was assessing the state of his supplies before treating Bella. She would need the blood that was hopefully still within the room. Upon their return to Forks, Carlisle had decided it prudent to have everything on hand to treat any emergency condition that might befall Bella. Entering the room, he thanked God that it appeared untouched. From the amount of blood that was already pooled around Bella, and the location of the wound, he was pretty certain the bullet had struck her spleen. Surgery was a must to repair such a wound. Monitoring the sound of Bella's heartbeat, he made quick work of gathering blood, sedatives, and surgical equipment, before hustling back downstairs where he turned the family's dining table into a surgical suite in the blink of an eye. The next beat of Bella's heart found Carlisle on his knees beside the injured girl.

"Bella, oh sweetheart". Bella heard Carlisle speak to her a moment before she felt his cold hand against her cheek. Instantly, she felt the terror recede as a sense of safety cocooned her. She knew Carlisle would allow nothing to befall her in his presence. Forcing her eyes open through the lethargy that made thinking difficult, Bella focused her vision on the venom filled orbs that were sweeping over her body, cataloging her injuries. She couldn't help crying out when Carlisle lifted her into his arms. He was gentle, but the slightest movement sent lighting forking through her side. "Deep breathes for me honey, slow and easy, like this" Carlisle encouraged Bella to follow his breathing as he carried her over to the table. He hated that she was in pain, but her condition was severe. If he had hesitated at all in getting to her, he had no doubt she would have bled out. He needed to get her hooked up to an IV and start the blood transfusions before he had the luxury of considering her comfort. Laying her out on the table, he quickly did just that. Then, pressing bandages to the wound with one hand, he prepared the sedative with the other before administering it into her IV. "You going to be just fine baby girl" Carlisle took a moment to cradle Bella's cheek in his hand as she slipped into oblivion, then began his fight to save her life.


	5. Chapter 5

A benefit of being vampire was the excessive speed. Carlisle found it exceedingly frustrating when he was unable to work at full capacity because humans were in the operating room with him. One of the few things Bella had going in her favor, was that Carlisle could operate on her without restriction. And as soon as she was unconscious, that is exactly what he did. In what would have been the blink of an eye to his coworkers, Carlisle had torn the blood soaked sweater away from the wound, cleaned the area, and accessed the damage. Pausing only to change out the blood and saline bags when necessary; Carlisle set about closing the holes the bullet had made in Bella's spleen. Unfortunately, the wounded organ was proving stubborn. Each time he attempted to add a suture, the edge of the hole would tear open again. He quickly realized the damage the organ had suffered was too severe to accept repair. Clamping off the blood supply to the destroyed organ, Carlisle set about removing it and closing the entry and exit wounds located in Bella's flank.

Once finished with the gunshot wound, Carlisle set about checking her over for other injuries. Thankfully he discovered no broken bones, just some bruising from when she must have struck the wall and tumbled to the floor along with the extensively bruised cut in Bella's forehead, which also required stiches to close. Although the coherency of Bella's texts to him was a good sign, he would remain concerned over the possibility that she had received a significant concussion. Taking her to the hospital for an MRI was not an option, since they would question her other, obvious injuries. He didn't regret his decision to treat her at the house however, Bella's spleen had been gushing blood, and she would never have made it to the hospital alive.

Finished with bandaging Bella's head, Carlisle took a second for an unnecessary breath, before he set about cleaning up Bella and the surrounding area choosing to keep her near him in the dining room for now. Knowing his family's sensitivity, he took care to burn all items from the surgery and the kitchen that might have Bella's blood on them. He bleached anything that would not burn. Once housekeeping chores were completed, Carlisle finally allowed himself to stop and truly comprehend what this day had wrought.

Having acted human for so long, it was second nature to collapse himself into a chair by Bella's side. Sandwiching her hand between his, Carlisle processed the emotions he did not dare allow himself to acknowledge earlier. Stark terror and helplessness that he would not be able to protect Bella before the men realized she was still alive; anger and a need to inflict pain on those that had hurt his little girl; his anxiety for her body's ability to recover from her horrific injuries; relief that Bella had finally accepted a cell phone from them just last month. The small electronic device had saved her life. The one thing he did not feel was regret over killing the humans who had entered his home. From the moment they had attempted to take Bella's life they had signed their own death warrants.

Saying a prayer that Bella's condition would remain stable, he considered what would have to happen next. He knew without a doubt, Jasper and Emmett would take pleasure to ensure the bodies lying outside his office would never be found. The truck was also of no concern – no one would think to check the Cullen's drive when the men turned up missing, and the unusually heavy rain made it unlikely anyone would drop in to say hello. He simply moved it and the bodies to the cold garage and left it for his children to unload when they returned. Rosalie would enjoy scuttling the vehicle.

Moving back to Bella's side, Carlisle quickly assessed her condition. Despite his continual monitoring of her vitals through his enhanced senses, he found he needed to see for himself that her chest still rose as her lungs oxygenated her blood. He didn't like the thought of her new scent; temporarily more woodsier than floral, it was only another sign of how close to death she had come.

She was still in a stable condition, so Carlisle felt comfortable with moving her to one of the bedrooms. Though her attackers had taken no care to leave things as they were found, it didn't take Carlisle long to set his and Esme's mattress back on the bed, change out the sheets and neaten the room. Making use of his extra strength, Carlisle easily lifted Bella into his arms, along with her IV fluids and transported her to his room. He took the time to ensure the stitches from the operation had not been disturbed before tucking her in. Moving Esme's favorite reading chair to Bella's bedside, he settled in to watch over her.


	6. Chapter 6

_Plop…plop…plop…_ as Carlisle sat by the bedside, he found the dripping of solution into Bella's IV line to be calming. His multifunctional brain was using his enhanced senses to monitor her condition far more effectively than any human machine could do. His supernatural hearing was so superior that he could monitor the very blood flowing through her veins and know the moment it became impeded by any clots. At the same time his brain was processing everything he refused to let himself feel when Bella was counting on him to save her life. He was the very statue Bella had often thought the Cullen's resembled. Elbows resting on his thighs, head in his hands, Carlisle prayed for Bella's recovery and thanked God for getting him to her in time. The memory of Bella lying on his family's kitchen floor, a far too large puddle of blood surrounding his daughter, refused to leave him. From the moment he had first met Bella after the car accident that should have claimed her life, he had been intrigued by her. She was the only woman to ever draw his first son's curiosity in such a way. He remembered how Esme had reacted with such awe and hope when she learned Bella was nervous to meet them – not because they were dangerous creatures – but because she wanted the Cullen's to like her. Very quickly Bella had wormed her way into their hearts. To Carlisle and Esme, Bella was as much their daughter as she was Renee and Charlie's. Finally, as he remembered the stark terror in Bella's eyes that had changed to such trust with the simple knowledge that he was there, Carlisle broke down into gut wrenching sobs.

Stifling the sound of his pain with a hand, and coursing the venom that refused to fall from his eyes, Carlisle attempted to get a hold of himself. His knowledge as a doctor gave him pain as a father – there was no doubt in his mind that Bella was minutes away from death when he found her. And the threat had been entirely human. He could no longer comprehend how they had ever thought their daughter would be better off without them.

Still attempting to rein in his emotions, no easy task as the vampire in him needed to lash out; he was almost caught by surprise when Bella's steady breathing pattern began to change. Reaching out to rest his hand over her forehead, he was relieved to feel her temperature holding steady. Her lungs still pushed air through her body without difficulty and there was no indication of clots forming in her blood. Knowing Bella would be awakening soon, he headed for his office to retrieve the pain medicine she would surely need. While there, he took stock of the blood supply. He was hesitant to give her another transfusion so soon, but if her heart continued to work as hard as it still was, he would have little choice in the matter.

Returning to the bedroom, he set the medication supplies on the night stand and contemplated the call he would need to make to his family soon. Checking his phone, he was surprised by Alice's continued silence. Surely she would have seen some part of the evening's horrors…no matter, when Bella awakened from the anesthesia, and he was more certain she would remain stable; he could safely take the time to inform his family.


	7. Chapter 7

_Somewhere in Northwest Territories, Canada…_

Jasper laughed as Alice chased him through the forest. She had been attempting to catch him since he had spooked the Polar Bear she had her sights set on. Alice had been about to pounce on the unaware bear when Jasper had landed on the thin ice, cracking it straight through. Not only had the bear taken off, but the newly formed ice berg had meant both Alice and Jasper wound up going for an unplanned swim. Needless to say his fashionista wife was less than thrilled about that….

Turning South along the Mackenzie River, Jasper thought he had managed to turn the tables on his psychic wife, who had been hell bent on getting her revenge. He had not gone even a mile down the river, when Alice suddenly popped up from the riverbed and tackled him along the bank. Yet, where her strengths laid in her visions, Jasper's was in fighting. The two continued their wrestling along the river's edge. Jasper had finally managed to get the upper hand when Alice suddenly froze and her expression went blank. Without warning she began to fight Jasper's hold in earnest, letting out an ear-splitting scream. Her emotional climate went from playful to absolutely terrified and that truly alarmed him – he had never felt such a reaction from her before.

The effort to calm Alice enough to tell Jasper what she had seen took only a few minutes with the help of his gift, but felt far longer. When she finally did clue him in, her words spiked his own terror, "Jasper, Bella's been shot, we need to call Carlisle!" Freezing in horror, Jasper realized what Alice had already known – their phones had been unprotected in their pockets when they tumbled into the ocean. They would not work. And they had spilt off from the others Friday night, looking to spend some time as a couple. It would be too late before they found the rest of their family – and another phone. Still, this was Bella – they had to try.

"Try your phone Alice," Jasper quickly ordered as he whipped out his own. Sure enough, both were waterlogged and dead.

"We have to find the family Jazz"

"I know honey; can you tell who is closest?"

"We'll find Emmett & Rose near Great Slave Lake, but their phones aren't in any better shape. Seems you boys both played pranks…Esme and Edward are due South of them. I'm not sure where exactly – I don't see any landmarks, but we find them. Edward's phone will work."

Before she had even finished speaking, Jasper had grabbed her by the hand and the two were off the reunite with the remainder of the Cullen hunting party. Alice kept him informed on Bella's situation. By the time they had blown past Emmett and Rose, yelling at them to follow, Carlisle was starting Bella's surgery. They updated their siblings as they searched for their mother and brother. When they finally found the two, they were in Glacier National Park. Alice had continued to keep them updated on the surgery, and Carlisle's beside vigil. It seemed they would be telling Edward the dire news, right when his fragile mate should be awakening. However, it would be late morning before they made it back to Forks. Reminding the others to block their thoughts, Jasper prepared himself to tell Edward all that had transpired…


	8. Chapter 8

Deep in Glacier National Park lies a beautiful, remote valley - one of many. The valley is bowl-shaped, surrounded on two sides with fast rising, snow-capped mountains. Nestled on the northern end is a pristine, glacier-blue lake. On the southern lake shore lies the wooded area where Edward and Esme are enjoying their most recent catch of elk. To Edward, the beauty of the valley is second only to the mental silence – with the exception of Esme's thoughts of course. For they are so deep in the park that even back-packers are rare sightings.

Indulging his selfishness for a moment – Edward allows himself to dream of introducing Bella to majestic views such as this. While dreading what he fears will be the sacrifice of her soul, a part of him can't wait to see the world through Bella's newborn eyes.

Having finished her meal, Esme sat back and observed her son. It filled her with joy to finally see him relaxed, and seemingly at peace. His face was finally free of the tortured look he had worn for too long. The past months had been filled with so much strife and fear for them all. First with the loss of Bella from their family, then Victoria's never-ending quest for vengeance; a black cloud had hung over their household for far too long. With the threat to Bella's life gone, Edward finally allowed himself a long over-due extended hunt. Secure in the knowledge that Carlisle would look out for Bella, Emmett had managed to convince Edward to travel outside the Northwest this trip.

Smiling at Esme's thoughts, Edward finished with his elk and lay in the soft green grass. The sky was baby blue, with puffy cotton-like clouds passing overhead. He began to plan a backpacking trip to bring Bella back here while still human. She always enjoyed a chance to see any of the Cullen's in the sun, and this valley was remote enough to be considered safe. And if he stuck to her like glue, he wouldn't have to worry she would stumble across a protective mother bear or –knowing her bad luck – trip face first off the nearest cliff. Shuddering quietly, Edward decided she wouldn't leave his side if he brought her here.

Sensing the change in Edward, Esme decided to nip whatever had soured his mood in the bud, _"how about a swim in the lake to clean up?"_ she thought to him.

"Sure" Jumping up, the two ran for the lake and dove straight into the glistening waters.

Hours later, the two were still enjoying the lake, when another's thoughts intruded on Edward's solitude. Edward grimaced at Emmett's effective strategy for keeping his ability at bay.

"Esme, the others are coming and judging by how hard they are working to keep me out, I would say they are up to something…" after attempting to read his other siblings' minds; Edward was suspicious they were plotting mischief.

 _"Well then, maybe we should set up our own surprise for them"_ replying with her thoughts, Esme then pictured hiding in the trees at the lake's edge. Unless Alice was searching the future, they should be able to spring a trap on the others when they arrive.

Grinning, Edward nodded. After swimming to shore, the two raced far enough into the forest for the trees to close in around them, then each choose a tall pine, and with one jump, were snugly hidden in the upper branches.

In her mind, Esme pictured her antique vase that had been a Christmas gift from Carlisle before they had moved to Forks. Emmett had managed to smash it recently, when he had gotten overzealous in a game of chess with Jasper. The pawn he had flicked had gone straight through the vase and continued through the glass wall of the house. Needless to say, she had not been happy.

With a quiet chortle, Edward realized that his mother was letting him know that she was picking Emmett as her victim. Knowing this would be good, Edward decided to sit back and watch the show.

By now, her other children were close enough that Esme began to hear their footfalls racing through the forest. As graceful as all vampires were, Esme, as all mothers do, knew her children so well that she could detect the slight differences between them. Concentrating, she picked out the heaviest footfall, with the slightly lumbering cadence (if a vampire could ever be described as lumbering…) that she knew belonged to Emmett. Tensing, she wanted to bid her time so that she would land on his back as he passed below her tree.

In only a matter of seconds, her children had raced into her line of sight. She allowed another second for Emmett to draw closer, and then Esme sprung from her tree.


End file.
